Weekend Break
by the-original-catalyst
Summary: "Just think it over. I mean, you work so hard all day, all week, and then there's this. Stress relief, no-strings attached... hot as hell..." - Prideshipping, SetoxYami! More info inside. (Rated M to be safe.)
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Okay, yeah guys. It's Prideshipping. Not my favourite pairing, to be honest (I much prefer Puzzleshipping and Puppyshipping :3), but when this idea struck me I just couldn't help it. Basically what happens is Mokuba forces Seto to take a day off, so he goes to a bar. Yami's there. You can fill in the blanks.**

**Seto: ... Why.**

**Me: Because your face.**

**Seto: ...**

**Yami: :D**

**Me: Okay, Yami, stop being such an uke. Save it for the fanfic.**

**Yami: :D**

**Me: ... you're disturbing me. You know how hard that is?**

**Yami: :DDD**

**Me: *****sigh***** Whatever... Seto, just do the thing.**

**Seto: t-o-c does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Thank god.**

**Me: **_**Hey!**_** Ingrate... Anyway, here ya go!**

* * *

Seto awoke slowly, greeted by a pounding migraine and a dull soreness all over his body. He sat up lethargically, holding his head as he tried to remember the events of the last twelve hours. First, Mokuba pleaded that he take a break from work and, not being able to refuse his little brother's puppy dog eyes, he succumbed to the desire for a break and found himself at a local bar for a drink. He didn't drink often, so he thought it would be a nice change, a reward for all the work he'd done lately. But then, his memory failed him, so there was nothing but blurriness and a flurry of colors… that is, until now.

He opened his eyes, but the light that pierced them was blinding, painful. He grunted, shielding his eyes. While he waited for his eyes to adjust, he focused harder on his last memories. There had to be some kind of hint, something he was missing that would make some sort of sense of what was happening. He wasn't at home; he could tell that much. The sheets of the bed he felt underneath him were thinner, cheaper. The air smelled of low-quality cleaning supplies. It was quiet, albeit breathing. Wait... that wasn't his. The breathing he heard was slower, calmer...

He shook his head. No, he had to remember. He _had _to.

He'd went to a relatively popular bar downtown, ordered a drink he'd never had before. There was... someone there. Someone he knew. They bought him a different drink, and that was it. There wasn't anything after that...

He paused, finally moving his hand away from his eyes. The light still stung, but it was bearable. He had to know where he was. He glanced around the room, groggy and wary of this feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach. The walls were a plain beige, the floor an ugly pattern of maroon and white paisley, the curtains were flimsy and did little to block out the warm, morning light. A hotel room, a cheap one. Why the hell did he come here?

A soft groan echoed through the room. Okay, he could ignore the breathing, but that was definitely not him. He looked over, and immediately regretted it.

"Shit..." he muttered, closing his eyes tightly. "Shit, no..."

A pale figure rose slowly from underneath the sheets, covering his eyes and moaning. "Where the hell...?"

"It _had_ to be him!" Seto shouted angrily, throwing off the covers and rising from the bed. "Of all the people, it had to be him!"

His sudden outburst surprised the other person. "_Kaiba_?" Yami exclaimed. "What the hell is going on here? The last thing I remember was—"

"Going to a bar?" Seto finished. "Yeah, I know."

"You—" Yami began, before swiftly cutting himself off. He buried his head in his hands, shaking it vigorously. "No... Oh, _god_ no." He cursed loudly.

"Okay," Seto said, pacing the length of the small hotel room. "Let's assess the situation."

Yami huffed. "And then what? Maybe Mokuba was right; you work yourself too much..."

"Will you shut up?!" Seto screamed, almost frantic. "I need to look at the situation analytically. Otherwise I'm gonna start to panic..."

"Why?" Yami said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Kaiba, we slept together. Sure, not exactly what you would expect... okay, the _exact _opposite of what you'd expect. But, what's so bad about it? Did you hate it that much?"

"No, and that's the worst part!" His memories came flooding back at the mention of what had... happened. Yami had been sitting at the bar when Kaiba entered, and invited him to sit with him. They hated each other in the past, but they'd gotten over their disputes (for the most part) and had become simply good acquaintances. Nothing more than that, until now. Yami had been trying to be polite, since he frequented the bar and knew the owner well. He suggested a drink, and Seto liked it, so he had a couple more. As did Yami. Neither of them had very high alcohol tolerance, so with just a few drinks they were drunk off their asses. The two started to get... frisky, and the bartender suggested a small, cheap hotel nearby where they could... well, you know.

Seto shook his head, not willing to remember anything else at the moment. What he had now was already too much to take in. "That was the worst part," he repeated. "I don't think I hated it."

"See? What's the shame in having a little fun every once and a while?"

"Yami, I'm the owner of a multi-billion dollar gaming corporation. If the press were to get a hold of this, I'd be—"

This time, Yami actually laughed. "Re-_lax_, Kaiba." He leaned back in the bed, no longer bothering with modesty. He placed his hands behind his head and smiled, saying, "You've been working yourself to death. You deserve some downtime."

Seto swore angrily, his scowl deepening. "Downtime?" he repeated quietly. "_Downtime?! _Yami, I don't have _time_ for flings! I've got important work I need to get done! God, I shouldn't have taken a break yesterday anyway! I know Mokuba was worried, and I didn't want to worry him further... I thought one night off would put him at ease for a while... but now look! It did far more harm than good! God, I—"

Yami got up and stood in front of Seto, with his arms crossed and his jaw set. The fact that he was blushing did _not _make it easy to take him seriously. And, you know, the nudity was kind of distracting...

"Seto, listen," he began, Kaiba frowning at the use of his first name. "You were way overworked. Maybe this was what you needed to... loosen up. I mean, if you needed to get all that stress out, and it really seemed like it by the way you—"

"How the hell are you o-_kay_ with this?" Kaiba exclaimed, interrupting. He wasn't sure he wanted Yami to finish that sentence...

Yami frowned. "I don't care. I mean, yeah, I'm kind of shocked that I got drunk and woke up in this random hotel, naked and sharing a bed with the guy that used to be my sworn enemy. But it—" He cut himself off, seeming deep in thought.

Seto frowned. "What?"

"I just had an idea."

"Oh, god. What?"

"Let's do this again. Like, once a week or something, I dunno."

Seto fumed, too angry for words. He started to say something, but failed to come up with words that truly expressed his white, blinding fury. For a moment, he simply stood there, opening and closing his mouth like a confused goldfish.

"I know it sounds strange, but, I mean, why not?"

"_Why_. _Not_." Seto repeated quietly, finding his tongue. "I'll tell you _why not_! Because—"

He stopped. He couldn't think of a single reason, even though he knew he should be rambling off all these things. They didn't quite hate each other, at least not anymore.

"See?" Yami smiled. "Why not? You're just in shock, right now. But, it's nice, if you think about it."

All Seto could do was stare.

"Just think it over," Yami continued, sitting down on the bed with a soft _plop_. "I mean, you work so hard all day, all week, and then there's this. Stress-relief, no-strings-attached..." he smiled mischievously, crossing his legs at the knee, "... hot as hell."

The idea... as crazy as it sounded, Seto couldn't push it out of his head, no matter how he tried. It was absurd, but it sounded... good. He liked it. The impact of the situation knocked his legs out, and he sat down on the bed next to Yami, who uncrossed his legs and turned toward Seto, their knees touching.

"Come on, Seto," he said smoothly, placing a hand on Kaiba's leg. His hand was soft, warm to the touch, and the skin-to-skin contact made him shiver. "It's perfect."

"I... I don't know..."

"Oh, I see." Yami smiled. "I have to pitch the idea to you. That's how it works, right? I give you a pitch, and then you decide whether the product is worth mass production or not? Alright..."

With that, Yami leaned in and planted a big kiss right on Seto's lips, immediately parting his lips and hypnotizing him. This guy didn't waste time. Kaiba smiled, succumbing to the kiss, closing his eyes and leaning in, kissing him back with a passion he didn't know he had. His arms snaked around Yami's waist, plastering their bodies together and taking him in. They fell back onto the bed, all while Seto smiling as he thought about how easily Yami had him sold.

Sure, the idea of having a secret lover was unsettling to Kaiba at first. He was a rich corporation owner – he always thought he'd work and that would be all. He'd work and build a huge empire, and die knowing he'd done something with his stepfather's trash of a company. Though, now, every day he went to his office and did his work like he always did, he found himself remembering, thinking, looking forward to their weekly rendezvous. Whenever he wasn't, he was checking his phone for the texts Yami would send him. They always made him smile.

Nobody knew, of course. No one but that bartender, but she was more than happy to keep their secret. She liked to think that she helped the two of them out, considering it all started at her bar. The press had gotten whiff of his affair more than once, but buying out a reporter or two led to the swift end of that. They met somewhere different every time; sometimes at hotels, sometimes at Yami's house, and even sometimes the bartender would let them use one of her backrooms (yeah, she had bedrooms in the back of her bar. She was just that kind of person. Seto didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed).

Mokuba constantly questioned Seto about where he was that night, but Seto kept dodging them until he came up with a decent excuse. He still hadn't.

He always just told him, "I did what you said, and took a break."

And now he took a break every weekend.

* * *

**Me: Hehe. I regret nothing.**

**Seto: -.- *****doesn't know how to respond***** **

**Me: Oh shut up. You know you loved it.**

**Seto: ...**

**Yami: Wait, is this a oneshot?**

**Me: Nope.**

**Yami: Oh, so you're planning on continuing?**

**Me: Nope.**

**Yami: O.o**

**Me: I'm letting the readers decide. If y'all want me to, I'll write more. If you don't, I won't. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. *evil laugh* **

**Seto: ... Just review already. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Wow, you guys. I'm sooo happy about the reaction to the first chapter! *starts to tear up* I feel so loved! **

**Seto: ...**

**Me: Oh, shut up you.**

**Seto: *glares* I never said anything.**

**Me: I know what your silences mean! If you behave, I'll write a Puppyshipping fic next.**

**Seto: *eyes widen, before going back to neutral* ... Fine.**

**Me: Good boy. XD**

**Yami: Are there any warnings that need to be issued before we begin?**

**Me: ...Well, nothing they didn't already figure. There's cursing... some making out... OH. THERE WILL BE STRIPPERS. Just to let you all know. I know two gay men such as Yami and Seto don't particularly care, but I for one am looking forward to the stripperness. XDD**

**Seto: ...What about the fan characters?**

**Me: Oh yeah. I forgot. In this chapter, there will be three OCs; based off me, madporter13 and MysticMelodyx. They don't play that major a part, so I figured no one would mind... It's gonna be fun! Let's see... what else should I put here...?**

**Yami: t-o-c doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Me: Ah, yes! A disclaimer! I don't own YGO, but I think that's pretty obvious. First, I'm on a fan site. If I owned, it, I wouldn't be here, writin' me some romance fanfictions. Second, there is no yaoi in YGO. Again, romance fanfictions. C'mon people.**

**Yami: Enjoy! :D**

**Seto: Don't encourage her.**

**Me: Puppyshipping~**

**Seto: ... *shuts up***

**Me: XD Here you go, guys! You asked for it! 8D**

It was official; Seto was going to have to work late.

Had it been three months earlier, he would have been fine with the idea. In fact, he had been used to working late. Working late was normal, and therefore could not be considered "late," as far as he was concerned. Others disagreed with his point of view, but their opinions never really mattered to him. In fact, they still didn't. The only person who had ever mattered to him was Mokuba, who was always worrying that he was working himself too hard. Since then, he had found a cure for his overly-stressful work life, which was far from conventional, but effective regardless...

His no-strings-attached arrangement with Yami.

Now, three months in, it had become obvious that Seto was addicted. It was pathetic, his mind told him. He shouldn't be indulging in such superficial pleasures... he should be focusing on work, and achieving his goal of making something decent of his step-father's messy shit of a company. He was still striving toward that goal... five and a half days out of the week. Saturday and Sunday morning, however, work was the farthest thing from his mind.

But now, it was Friday night, and Seto had been too distracted during the day to get much done, and found himself working past midnight, well after all the other employees had left. The only other person left in the building was Mokuba, who was curled up on an armchair in the corner of Seto's office, fast asleep. He looked cute when he was sleeping, though Seto would never tell him that. No, he tended to keep affectionate thoughts and feelings to himself, especially when it came to his brother. He cared about him deeply, and wanted to tell him that – not that he thought he needed to – but he was afraid that, if he did, people would use that against him. Hell, they already have. He didn't want anyone trying to harm his brother just to get to him, at least not any more than some already had, so he tried seeming as distant from his brother as he could in the public eye. He was sure that Mokuba understood.

He _was _sure.

Mokuba was more than understanding of everything Seto did, and more than supportive of him. It was only when Seto finally stopped and took a step back that he realized something he probably should have noticed before.

_When did my little brother grow up? _he asked himself as he watched his brother's slow, heavy, sleep breathing. Mokuba was tall... he'd hit a growth spurt somewhere and had to really scrunch up to fit on the small armchair. He'd cut his hair shorter a few months ago, so that now it hung just past his shoulders. He would start high school in September. Seto's little brother wasn't so little anymore and Seto hadn't even noticed.

All Seto could do was shake his head sadly. He couldn't believe it. He knew everyone had to grow up at some point (some earlier than others), but he just didn't understand why his brother had to so fast, so early. He had all the time in the world to just be a kid, unlike Seto, who had to grow up early on in order to make sure Mokuba wouldn't have to.

He sighed, turning his attention back to his computer screen. Well, what was done was done. As much as he hated the thought of his little brother growing up and not needing him anymore, it wasn't in his power to change that. All he could do was stand back and watch, as much as he hated that, and make sure that Mokuba didn't have to worry about anything. If he had to work more in order for that to happen, then so be it.

Of course, he still took some time for himself. Like tomorrow.

Seto smiled. Tomorrow...

~SECTION BREAK~

Saturday morning, Seto woke up to a simple text from Yami:

_El has details. Ask her. ;)_

Seto smiled; he hadn't talked to the bartender in a while. It would be nice to see her again.

Half an hour later, Seto was walking though the double swinging doors of the bar where he and Yami had first gotten together. He took a step forward, but had to stop unless he wanted a face full of glass. A shot glass came whizzing by his face, and crashed on the wall opposite the way it'd came. He winced at the shattering sound.

"Listen you sons of bitches! This is what happens to you when you come into _my_ bar, and decide to start a goddamned fight. Now get to cleaning and then get out before I get _really_ pissed and _really _start throwing shit!"

Seto blinked. His eyes glided over the scene in front of him. Two rather burly men were crumpled in a heap on top of what Seto imagined used to be a table and was now a pile of splintered wood. The shook their heads, mumbling to themselves in slurred voices, and started to pick up the things they'd apparently broken.

"There ya go. Now, see? Isn't that painful. When you're done, leave. I don't want to see your ugly mugs again, got that?"

More grumbling.

Seto scoffed to himself. That's how El runs a bar. He took another step forward, and felt something short and fast bump into him. He looked down to see a familiar face looking up at him apologetically. "Oh. Hey, Lia," he said.

The small bar hand clutched her spiral notebook closer to her chest. Her dark green eyes glowed from behind a curtain of rich brunette hair. "Hey Seto," she replied with a smile. "Haven't seen you around for a while."

Lia was one of El's closest friends and a complete klutz. She was extremely shy, spoke quietly but often around her friends, and was one of the kindest people Seto knew. A stark contrast to her friend who owned the bar she roomed in.

"Sorry about the mess," Lia mutterd as she glanced over at the two who were still cleaning. "You know how El is about fights."

Seto smiled. "Only she's allowed to start them."

Lia giggled. "Yep. You're probably gonna want to see her. She's right back here..." Motioning with her head, Lia shuffled behind the counter and into a back room with Seto right on her heels.

"She usually goes back here to cool off after something like this happens," Lia informed him as she stood in front of a large wooden door. She knocked on it quietly. "Hey, El?"

"What the hell do you want?" El's alto voice boomed from within the room.

Lia winced. "Uhm, someone's here to—"

"Tell 'em to come back later!"

"Oh... okay."

Lia backed away from the door and frowned, turning to a shocked Seto. "Is she...?"

"She'll be fine," Lia replied. "Don't worry. She gets like this sometimes. For now, just feel free to wander around for a bit. I know how to make a few drinks, so I can get you something if you'd like..."

"No, I'll be fine, thanks."

"Alright. I'll come and get you when she's calm enough to see you."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Lia shuffled off to make drinks for the impatient drunks waiting at the bar, and Seto took a seat at one of the tables in the corner of the bar, away from everyone else. He took out his phone and sent a short text to Yami.

_Gonna be late. El's in a bad mood, not taking visitors._

He soon got a reply...

_You know how she can get. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make it worth your wait ;)_

Seto felt his face start to burn. Since he had nothing to say to that, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and made the mistake of looking up.

"Well, look at you. Not feeling social, ah?"

Seto blinked. "Uhm... who are you?"

The girl smiled, resting her elbows on the table and resting her chest on it. "My name? I don't talk about stuff like that at work. But _you_, mister, you can call me Kinky Kitty Kat."

Seto blinked again. _Oh, great,_ he thought. _I've gotten some goddamn stripper's attention._

The girl twirled a strand of dark brown hair with red streaks in it, her skin the color of mahogany, and her clothes – or lack thereof – were promiscuous at best. Her top was a strip of purple fur that just barely covered her abundant chest, and her shorts were purple jeans with a tail sticking out, and Seto wouldn't even begin to consider them "shorts." Shorts were _much _longer than that. The different shades of lavender in her tail were repeated in two little cat ears poking out the crown of her head.

Her smile widened as he examined her. "Like what you see, baby?" she purred.

Seto scowled. "Not particularly."

That determined smile melted into a playful pout that Seto didn't like the looks of at all. "Aw, I'm sure you don't mean that. Everyone likes what they see. Maybe you just need to get a better view..."

Before Seto could realize what was happening, the stripper had made her way around the table and was perching herself on Seto's lap. She looped her arms around the back of his neck and cocked her head to the side, causing the bell on the collar around her neck to ring slightly. "What about now?"

With a sigh, Seto tried pushing her off. When that didn't work, he tried a more direct approach. "Look, I know this is your job and all, but I'm really not interested, so if you could just—"

His words were cut off by laughter. "Oh, honey, this ain't my job. It's my career. Now that you know something about me... why don't you share something about yourself? Like, why you're dressed nicely in a little grunge place like this..."

Seto was starting to get annoyed. This girl was obviously not going to leave on her own, and being semi-polite wasn't working. He would have to try a more direct approach.

Abruptly, Seto stood from his seat. She obviously did not see that coming, and fell to the floor. She landed hard, but looked none the worse for wear. When she stood, Seto grabbed her wrist and glared harshly into her wide, brown eyes.

"What part of 'I'm not interested' is so hard for you to understand? When I say I'm not interested, then I'm not interested."

She stared at him, making no move to leave. More than frustrated, Seto let go of her arm and growled. That surprised them both.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" he said, his voice becoming louder and louder as he became more irritated. "Fine, I guess I do. I. Am. Gay."

Her eyes widened at that. Her hands hung at her side limply, and she looked at him.

"Oh! Uh, sorry to interrupt here..."

Seto's head snapped to the side to see Lia standing there, hunched and avoiding eye contact. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Seto resisted the urge to hug her out of sheer gratitude. "No, you came at the perfect time."

Lia smiled, looking over at the girl. "Kat, you do know Seto's gay, right?"

The girl, Kat, sniffed indignantly. "Well, I do _now!_" she replied. Her eyes drifted back over to Seto, and her face reddened and faced the floor. "Yeah, uhm—"

Seto waved away any apology she had ready for him. She nodded, and turned to walk away. As an afterthought, she looked back over her shoulder and blew a kiss toward Lia with a wink before sashaying out of sight.

When Seto looked back, he saw a heat rising in Lia's face. "What was that about?" he asked, knowing it wasn't his business but nosy regardless.

Lia just shook her head. "She's a stripper" was all the reply she offered. "C'mon, El's calmed down and wants to see you."

She turned on her heels and headed toward the back again without giving Seto a chance to reply. She seemed flustered, but Seto just shrugged it off. If she didn't want to talk about it, then that was her deal. For now, he had business with El. He followed after the small brunette, his mind finally returning back to why he was here in the first place.

**Me: Okay, I'm sorry that there wasn't any Prideshipping in this chapter. Don't hate me! I promise that, if you're patient, I'll make sure to throw in a bit extra for you next time... ;D**

**Yami: Patience is a virtue you must learn to cherish.**

**Me: Hey, don't going stealing my friends' sayings!**

**Yami: :D**

**Me: Hehe, can't stay mad at Uke Yami. XD**

**Seto: You know the drill people; review.**

**Me: AND ALSO. You guys should check out my other fanfic, **_**Love is our Resistance**_**. I promise it's really good! It's not nearly as popular as this one is, which makes me sad... I know it takes place in the Witch & Wizard world, but don't let that scare you off! Pwease go check it out! *puppy dog face***

**Yami: *puppy dog face***

**Seto: ... *no puppy dog face* Just go read it already.**

**Me: PWEEEASEY? :333333333 If you do, I'll write another fanfiction! Maybe Puzzleshipping... what do you guys think? Open to suggestions! I'll be more likely to take suggestions if my other fic becomes more popular. That sound fair?**

**Yami: Yes!**

**Seto: I guess so.**

**Me: IT IS DECIDED. When my other fic starts to pick up, I'll start taking suggestions! So, what are you waiting for?! Review here, then go check it out. I COMMAND YOU. (please? XDD)**


	3. Chapter 2-and-a-half -- Author's Note

**ATTENTION READERS OF WEEKEND BREAK:**

I FEEL THE NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU. XD

I'm sorry that the third chapter is taking a lot (a lot a lot a lot a _lot _X'D) longer than the ones preceding it, but I have been really busy as of late, and it doesn't look like that's going to be changing any time soon. TwT

What I would _like _to do is get the third chapter finished and out to the view of the public as soon as humanly possible. That is extremely unlikely, but it'd be nice. XDDDD

SO. It's probably going to be sometime in August by the time I'm able to publish the next chapter— PLEASE DON'T KILL MEE~ *claps hands tightly in front of face and bows* I promise I'll get it out to you as soon as possible, but I figured it'd be courteous to alert you ahead of time instead of just keeping you hanging for months on end and just being all like DERP WRITERS BLOCK SORRY GAIZ.

...

I hate it when people do that, so I won't do that to you. XD

So yeah, sorry again for the expectantly long wait, it is my hope to finish sooner, but my plans always fail, so be warned! I really appreciate all the support I've been getting on this story, and I just wanted to say that I LOVE YOU ALL. THANKS SO MUCH FOR LIKING MY STUFF. 3

Oh, and to madporter13, thank you for not hounding me as much as you used to about this story. You've only asked me to update twice! I SHALL STAMP IT AND CALL IT PROGRESS. XDD

Okay. That's it. LOVE YOU ALL. THANKS. SEE YOU IN CHAPTER THREE!


	4. Chapter 3

**Me: Okay... okay. Finally, you guys. I finisheded it. I can't apologize enough for the wait I put you guys through... I know it bothers me when it takes forever for others to update, so I really hate doing it to people who **_**willingly**_** read my stuff and don't do it just because we're friends or related or something, so... I'm real sorry. =*^-^*= hugz make it betterz? :3 and a new chaaaaaapterzzzzzzz? 8D**

**Yami: Oh, it's okay! Everyone seemed to be fine with waiting for you. *looks out the window to see fangirls foaming at the mouth outside* ... Or… maybe not...**

**Me: Eh heh... yeah. XD I know I've been keeping you all waiting, but have no fear! I am writing this as fast as I can. I don't want to give you guys anything less than the best (*is a perfectionist*), so if you're patient then I promise you'll get something good for it. **

**Seto: Yu-Gi-Oh! fangirls... Hmph.**

**Me: Shut up you. I'm still working on your Puppyshipping fanfic, but I can delete it at any given moment!**

**Seto: 8/**

**Me: (Hehe. I should probably start that sometime... XD) Alright guys, you requested it, so here it is! Chapter three of Weekend Break!**

**Yami: t-o-c owns nothing but her ideas and the person-based OCs!**

**Seto: Duh...**

"I'd like to apologize again for how Kat acted," Lia muttered as they weaved their way through the crowded bar. "She can be... unpredictable."

Seto smirked. "I can imagine."

"No," Lia remarked solemnly. "I doubt you can."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Seto was led back to the door they had approached earlier, and Lia knocked again, albeit softer than before. "Hey, El?" she said to the thick wood.

"Hold on..." the familiar voice called from the other side. There was a shuffling noise, soft cursing, before there was a thundering _crash!_ Seto backed away from the door subconsciously. "Aw shit... Shit shit shit."

Suddenly, the door flew open and a very disheveled woman stood there. Her dark brown skin glistened slightly in the low light, and her eyes were almost black and shone with a mischief that everyone underestimated. Her large mass of messy, black curls was held back solely by a rainbow bandana that matched her tennis shoes immaculately. Her jeans hugged her figure nicely, which was huskier than most but not in a bad way, and her black tee shirt boasted some saying about supporting gay rights. Seto couldn't help but crack a smile before catching himself.

"Hey, Kaiba!" El exclaimed. "Been a while since you came around. Glad you could visit us, Mr. Richie-Rich. Gimme a second to clean this up and I'll be right with ya..."

Lia glanced into the room and immediately shook her head. "You see?" she sighed. "This is why you shouldn't try and set up an easel in your bedroom... there isn't enough room for all you junk in here as it is!"

El scowled. Bullheaded as she was, she refused to believe she couldn't do her painting wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. "Junk?" she finally replied. "This ain't junk, bitch."

"Mm-hmm." Lia and Seto both knew it was futile to argue with her. "But anyway, I'm gonna go tend to the front. Seto, El." She nodded to each of them in turn before excusing herself.

"Junk, she says..." Seto heard the bartender grumble as she went about picking up the mess of paintbrushes, paints and pastels littering the floor. She continued mumbling obscenities to herself for a moment as the mess dissipated slowly. "The bitch calls this junk... the nerve..."

Seto cleared his throat.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sorry Seto. Forgot you were here." El placed the last of the paintbrushes back into the aluminum can they called home and turned to him. "So, what brings you here?"

"Yami said you had information about our latest get together."

"Oh? I suppose I do."

"And?"

El smirked, offering him no answer.

_Typical,_ Seto thought. "Did he tell you to withhold it, or are you just messing with me?"

All he received in reply was an amused shrug. Her neutral expression broke into a wide, lop-sided grin that made Seto's eyebrow twitch. He didn't have the patience for this. "El..."

Putting her hands up in defeat, El's smile widened in amusement. "Hey, calm down there, rich boy. He didn't tell me to withhold anything from you, I just like messin' with ya; you know how I am."

Seto grunted.

Always being good at reading people's body language (her best friend, Lia, did have problems emoting, after all), El raised an eyebrow. "Don't go blowin' a gasket there, bud. I'm not trying to get between the two of you or anything, I just thought you'd be more 'lax about it." She smirked, falling back onto the cot in the corner of the room. "... Guess not."

"No," Seto replied tersely, "I am not _'lax _about it. I am thoroughly annoyed though, and if you continue this juvenile behavior, this will only become greater. How unfortunate for you."

"Hey, hey, _hey_ there. Calm your tits, bro. I was just messin' with ya—"

"I am not your _bro_, and Ido not care what your intent was," Seto snapped. "I simply want to know what Yami had to say so that I can be on my way. This has been nothing more than a waste of my time, and I'd like to leave as soon as I can."

El blinked. "Damn, Seto," she murmured, not seeming insulted so much as taken aback by his words. "That was cold." She sighed, all humor gone from her demeanor. "Alright, fine, here you go." From the back pocket of her worn-out jeans she produced an envelope that had been folded in half in order to fit. It was relinquished into Seto's possession, and he immediately took to examining its appearance. Outwardly, it didn't seem like much; it was just a basic, white envelope. No handwriting, no stickers, just blank. But Seto knew what it meant, what it held.

"Thank you," he deadpanned. "Goodbye."

And with that, he turned on his heels and exited the establishment. He was vaguely aware of Lia's quiet goodbye, but he didn't acknowledge it. His eyes and attention stayed solely on the envelope clenched tightly in his hands. He didn't spare a thought to his behavior towards people he generously considered his friends. He'd had more than enough experience in the world to dwell on rude actions. Some people wouldn't respond to anything else.

He didn't dare open the envelope until he was safely in his car, alone, and a decent distance from anywhere people might see him. He wanted to make sure he wasn't being watched.

Hands shaking from anticipation and excitement, he sloppily tore off the seal of the envelope and removed the single piece of paper from its grasp. On it was an address of a hotel on the outskirts of town, along with a three digit number and a short note.

_I know this is different from what we usually do, but I figure it's healthy to shake things up every so often. See you soon. ;)_

A smile threatened to cross his lips, but he held it back. He wasn't sure why, perhaps on reflex of perhaps on principle.

He knew where the address was located (when you live your whole life in one city, even if it is a big one, you tend to know your way around), so he put his car back into gear and followed the roads he knew would lead him to his ultimate destination.

Wasting no time and paying traffic rules little mind, he was able to make it to the address in about ten minutes. He did not risk going to the front desk; he didn't even use the front entrance. If he were spotted somewhere like this, the press would have a field day. No, he would have to find his way to the room on his own. As he searched, he let his mind wander shamelessly; something in which he rarely allowed himself to indulge.

By the time he found the correct room, which was on the first floor and not hard to find at all, his heart was beating against his ribs, and he was sure his pupils had dilated quite some bit. The door had been left slightly ajar, and there was faint music coming from within.

Taking a deep breath, Seto placed his hand on the door, and pushed it open.

**Me: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ALL FLUFF I PROMISE. You could probably tell that, by how I ended this one, but I know I've kept you guys waiting... ^w^" **

**Seto: *sarcastically* Can't wait.**

**Yami: ;D**

**Seto: ...?**

**Me: AHEM. ANYway, I'm gonna start responding to reviews! **

**Here's to start:**

**Kagura-07:**

**(#1) Yes, I know. The Prideshipping is coming. Soooooooon. 8D I appreciate your patience in the meantime.**

**(#2) *cowers* Please don't hurt me. I'm very fragile. Ask... well, anyone. But anyway, thanks so much for the HUGE compliment. I'm flattered that I got your attention with this! 8DDD I hope you enjoy this story, and maybe some others I have/am planning to have**

**naginamini**

**Yeah, that is really weird... o-o It's based off a friend of mine, so you both share (part of) a nickname! COOL. (: But thanks, I hope you enjoyed!**

**TexasDreamer01**

**Yes. It's glorious, isn't it? XDDD**

**flamingpluffy**

**N'aww! Thanks so much! Seto is **_**always**_** the seme, so I figured I'd shake things up a bit. Though neither of them would ever admit to being the uke... yeah. XD **_**Especially**_** Seto.**

**Me: Alright, I guess that's all for this chapter! I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible, but homework is a lot harder this year. This is the first day in two weeks that I **_**haven't **_**had homework. Yayz! 8D**

**Yami: As always, reviews, faves and follows are appreciated by the author.**

**Me: Yes. They make me feel loved and make the characters talk to me more... Seto.**

**Seto: I am **_**not**_** talking to you of my own free will.**

**Me: Love you too. 3**

**Seto: No.**

**Me: OH DO **_**NOT**_** GET AN ATTITUDE WITH ME MISTER.**

**Seto: ...**

**Me: Okay, shiz just got real. Madporter13, hold my nonexistent earrings. **

***arguing continues in the background***

**Yami: We love you all, and hope you liked it! See you next time! 8D**


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